Hog-chute.



H. C. RYBOLT.

HOG CHUTE. APPucATloH meu MAY a'o. 191s.4

Patented Jan. 23,1917.

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.H. c. RYBOU.

H06 CHUTE.

APPUCANON man MAY lo, 191s.

Patented Jan. 23, El?.

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HENRY C. RYBOLT, OFF KENNEY, ILLINOIS.

I-IOG-CHUTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917'.

Application led May 10, 1916. Serial No. 96,725.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. RYBOLT, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Kenney, in the county of Dewitt and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hog-Chutes, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a hog chute and has for its principal objectthe production of a device which is formed so asvto permit one man toeasily drive one hog at a time into a wagon, car, or other conveyancewhich may be positioned adjacent the outer end of the chute.

Another object of this invention is the production of a hog chute whichis adapted to be used in connection with aI large gate having a centralpassage therethrough, which central passage is normally closed by acentral swinging gate, this central swinging gate being adapted to beremovedand swung downwardly for constituting a tread portion for the hogchute, since it is intended that this central swinging portion should beretained by' a plurality of supporting rods.

Another object of this invention is the production of a hog chutewherein the side frames are provided with cleats between which slidingend gates are positioned, these sliding end gates being carried by arocking or tilting frame so that as one gate is lowered the other gatewill be raised, thus permitting one hog to enter the chute at a singletime so that only one hog can be discharged, whereby a single operatorcan easily drive the hogs into a wagon, or other vehicle carriedadjacent the end of the chute.

lith these and other objects in view this invention consists of certainnovel combinations, constructions, and arrangements of parts as will behereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of theassembled hog chute as constructed in accordance with this invention andillustrating the device in position for use. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thearrows.4 Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the central closure inthe main gate, which central closure also constitutes the tread or baseof the chute. Fig. 4 is la detail perspective view of one of by numeralsit will be seen that 1 designates Vin general the main gate having thecentralv standards carried in parallel spaced relation so as to formreduced openings therethrough. One of the standards 2 is provided withthe staples 3 so as to receive the hooks 4 of the central swinging gate5 for supporting this central swinging gate, whereby this central gatewill constitute a closure for the space between the standards 2 when thehog chute is not in use. When it is desired to drive the hogs throughthe space between the standards 2 the central swinging gate 5 is liftedso as to cause the hooks t to disengage the staples 3. rIhe lower end ofthe swinging gate 5 is positioned upon the base bar 6 of the maingate 1. The standards 2 are also provided with the vertical hooks 7adjacent their lower ends into which the offset outwardly extendingfingers 8 ofy the swinging gate 5 are adapted to removably rest. Thus,it will be seen that these fingers 8 are positioned between the hooks 7and thus rearward movement of the swinging gate 5 between the standards2 will be prevented. The brace strand 9 is carried by the upper ends ofthe standards 2 and to this brace strand 9 the hooked ends 10 of thesupporting rods 1l are connected. It will be seen that these supportingrods 11 are odset to provide the L-shaped grip 12. The outer end of theswinging gate 5 is also provided with staples 13 through which theL-shaped grips 12 are passed, as shown very clearly in Fig. 1, wherebythe lower endsv of the supporting rods 11 will be held in combinationwith the swinging gate 5. It will be seen that after passing theL-sha-ped grip ends through the staples 13 the rods 11 will be heldpositively against side displacement or accidental removal fromengagement with the tread or base 5, and since the hooked upper ends 10of the supporting rods 11 are at this time in engagement with the strand9 the forward or outer end of the tread section or swinging gate 5 willbe held in an elevated position.

The side frames of the chute comprise the longitudinally extendingsubstantially parallel strips 14 which are connected adjacent theirouter ends by means of the primary bij vertical guides 15 and theauxiliary vertical guides 16. These guides are carried at distancesapart, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, for purposes to be hereinafter setforth. It will be noted, however, that the lower ends of the primaryguides 15 are bent to provide the depending tongues 17 which passthrough the openings 18 formed in the central gate or tread section 5,whereby the side frames will be held in their correct vertical spacedrelation upon this central gate or tread section, as shown in Figs. 1and 1t will also be noted that this central gate or tread section 5 isprovided with the transversely extending cleats 19 so that as the hog orother animal passes up the chute it will be prevented from slippingowing to the cleats 19, while the side frames carried upon this centralgate or section 5 will direct the animal into the wagon or other vehicleadjacent the outer end of the chute.

The rocking or tilting frame is formed from a single strand of metal, orwire, and comprises the elongated fingers which are coiled at one end,as shown at 21, to provide the loop 22. The opposite ends of these:lingers are bent to provide the invert-ed U-shaped pockets 23 fromwhich converge the necks 24 so as to provide the depending U-shapedpocket 25. A single cable 26 is connected to the depending U-shapedpocket 25` and this cable 26 is in turn connected to the sliding endgate 27 by extending therethrough and being mounted as indicated at 28.The cable 29 is passed through the loop 22 and has its two end portionspassing through the remaining sliding end gate 30, as shown in Fig. 6,so as to be retained by means of the knotted portions 31. This frame ispositioned over the brace strand 9 so as to have the kstrand 9 extendingthrough the inverted U-shaped pockets 23 for pivotally supporting theframe. At this time the sliding end gates Q7 and 30 are positioned so asto extend between the guides 15 and 16 so as to freely slidetherebetween, as the frame is rocked.

When this hog chute is in use the swinging gate section is removed fromits vertical position and is swung downwardly so as to have its lowerend connected to the standards as above set forth, while the forward orouter end will be supported by means of the supporting rods 11, as hasbeen hereinbefore described. The side frames are then positioned uponthe tread portion so as to have their necks 17 extending through theopenings 18 and then the rocking or tilting frame is positioned upon thestrand 9 so asV to permit the sliding end gates Q7 and 30 to extendbetween the vertical guides 15 and 16. It will be noted that the pockets23 of the rocking or tilting frame are formed adjacent and as aconsequence one end of this frame will normally extend downwardly byforce of gravity, as shown in Fig. 2 so that the sliding end gate 27will be held in an elevated position, while the sliding end gate 30 willbe carried adjacent the lower ends of the vertical guides 15 and 16 atone end of the chute so as to rest upon the tread portion 5. At thistime the operator should, of course, have a wagon positioned adjacentthe upper end of the chute, although, of course, it is obvious that thischute may be used adjacent railroad tracks so that when so desired theanimals may be loaded directly into freight cars. As set forth above, atthis time the sliding end gate 27 will be held in an elevated positionso that the operator may then drive a hog or other animals along untilit passes into the chute under the elevated sliding end gate '27. Atthis time the cable 26 may be gripped and pulled downwardly so that theend gate 27 will be forced to close the lower end of the chute, whilethe fingers 20 of the rocking or tilting frames will be swung upwardlyas the necks 211 swing downwardly. rlhe upward movement of the fingers20 will cause the cable 29 to lift the sliding end gate 30 and as thisend gate is lifted it will, of course, cause the upper end of the chuteto be opened. rlhe animal within the chute seeing this open portion ofthe chute will naturally pass under the gate and into the vehiclecarried at the end of the chute. Upon the releasing of the cable 26 thesliding end gate 30 will again move to a closed position, thuspreventing the animal which has just passed into the vehicle fromrepassing into the chute, while the lifting of the lower sliding endgate 27 will permit another hog or animal to pass into the chute. It isobvious that if so desired any animals other than hogs may be driventhrough this chute, such for instance as sheep, or, if so desired, theend gates may be entirely removed and larger animals may be driventherethrough into the receiving vehicle.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a very simple andefficient hog chute has been constructed which can be operated by asingle person and in such a manner that only one hog at a time may passtherethrough without any danger of its repassing into the pen from whichit has just been driven. It is further obvious that when so desired thetilting frame and end gates may be entirely removed, after which theside frames may be removed and the tread portions may be swung upwardlyas the supporting rods are removed so that this tread portion may againpivotally secure the standardsI 2 for forming a closure as above setforth.

What is claimed is: Y

1. 1n a device of the class described, the combination of a main gatehaving a central passage therethrough, a closure for said passage, saidclosure Abeing adapted to be demountably moved do-wnwardly, means forsupporting said closure in a lowered position, whereby the centralpassage through the main gate will be open so that the closure mayconstitute a tread portion for the chute whereby animals passing throughthe central opening may pass up the closure into a receiving vehicle.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a main gatehaving a central opening, vertical standards carried by said main gatein parallel relation adjacent the central opening, a vertical gatecarried removably upon said standards for normally closing the spacebetween said standards, said central swinging gate being adaptedto beremovably extended in a lowered position, means for holding saidswinging gate in a tilted position so as to constitute a tiead portion,whereby animals passing between said standards may pass up said treadportion into a receiving vehicle at the end thereof.

In a device of the class described, the combination of a main gatehaving cential spaced standards, a brace strand connecting the upperends of said standards, a swinging gate carried upon said standards fornormally closing the space therebetween, said swinging gate beingadapted to be removed from said standards and swung to a lower tiltedposition, staples carried by said swinging gate, supporting rods havingL-shaped grips at their lower ends, said L-shaped grips being adapted tobe positioned over said staples, hooks formed at the upper ends of saidrods, said hooks being adapted to be positioned upon said strand,whereby said supporting rods will be carried so as to support one end ofsaid swinging gate in an elevated position, whereby the swinging gatewill constitute a tread portion so that animals passing between saidstandards will be directed upwardly over the tread portion or swinginggate into a receiving vehicle at the end thereof.

4. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a pair of standards, a tieV strand connecting the upperends of said standards, hooks carried by said standards, a tread portionextending between said standards, offset outwardly extending lingerscarried by said tread, said fingers removably carried by said hooks,whereby said tread will be held from moving rearwardly between saidstandards, means carried by said tread for` constituting in combinationtherewith a chute, and means for supporting the outer end of said treadin an elevated position.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair ofstandards, a tie strand connecting the upper ends of said standards,hooks carried by said standards,

said tread for constituting in combination therewith a chute, staplescarried by said tread adjacent its outer end, supporting rods havingL-shaped grips at their lower ends, said grips engaging said staples,whereby said grips will be held in engagement with said tread forholding said rods against accidental displacement, said rods havinghooks at their upper ends, said hooks engaging said strand for holdingthe forward ends of said chute in an elevated position. Y

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair ofstandards, a tread carried by said standards, said tread having aplurality of openings formed therein, side frames comprisinglongitudinal strips having primary and auxiliary vertical guides carriedthereon, said primary guides having their lower ends reduced to providetongues, said tongues extending through the openings formed in-saidtread, thereby removably holding said side frames in engagement withsaid tread, sliding end gates positioned between said guides, and meansfor alternately raising and lowering said sliding end gates, therebypermitting only a single animal to pass therethrough at a single timeand prevent its return therethrough.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair ofstandards, a brace strand connecting the upper ends of said standards, atread carried by the lower portions of said standards, side framesremovably mounted upon said tread, whereby said side frames and saidtread will constitute a chute, guides carried by said side frames, atilting frame carried by said brace strand, said tilting frame beingcarried oifcenter so as to normally swing downwardly at one end, cablesconnecting said tilting frame to said sliding end gates, whereby saidtilting frame will normally hold one end gate in an elevated position sothat an animal may pass into said chute and then upon the manuallowering ofthe end gate which has just been in an elevated position theopposite end of the tilting frame will be swung upwardly so as to raisethe remaining end gate, thus permitting an animal to pass thereunder andinto a receiving vehicle at the end of the constitute a chute, guidescarried by said.

side frames, sliding end gates positioned between said guides, a tiltingframe positioned upon said strand, said tilting 'frame being formed froma single strand of wire, said tilting frame comprising ngers beingcoiled about each other at one end and terminating in a loop, saidfingers having inverted U- shaped pockets, eonvergingrneeks extendingtroni said inverted U-shaped pockets, a depending U-Shaped pocket beingformed upon said necks, said inverted U-Shaped pockets being formedofeenter of the tilting `trarne, said inverted U-shaped pockets beingadapted to fit over said irst mentioned strand, whereby Said tiltingframe will be pivotally Supported, cables connected to said loop andsaid depending pocket, said Cables being connected to said sliding endgates, whereby because of the offset construction of said U- shapedpockets one end of 'the frame will swing downwardly so that the offsetend will swing upwardly, thus normally retaining one end gate in anelevated position, whereby an animal may pass thereunder into the chute,the elevated end gate of Said Jframe then being swung downwardly so asto swing the opposite end gate of said traine upwardly, thus causing theend gate which has just been Closed to be elevated So as to open theopposite end of the chute and thus permit the animal therein to passunder the ast-mentioned end gate into a receiving vehicle at the end ofthe chute.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afix my signature.

HENRY C. RYBOLT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

